Yoga for the Moon Phases - Rabbit Pose

Rabbit Pose

This time, let’s look at Rabbit pose, or Sasangasana in Sanskrit.

This is a pose which is ideal for the new moon, giving us an opportunity to focus internally and withdraw from external influences. It perhaps takes a little determination, which can add a little to the positive feeling of deliberately taking yourself away from other concerns for a few minutes. The forward folding nature of the pose helps promote calm, relaxing the nervous system.

This pose can provide physical benefits as well as mental ones, including strengthening the core muscles of the body, particularly the tummy, encouraging flexibility in the spine and increasing the space between the vertebrae, and stimulating the digestive organs. The muscles across the upper back and shoulders get a lovely stretch too.

From Child’s pose, engage the tummy and lift hips, rolling through to the crown of the head into…..

Rabbit pose

How to find Rabbit pose

We get into the classic version of this pose by kneeling down into Child’s pose (see the Child’s pose blog). Let the arms come alongside the body, hands towards the feet. Then keeping the forehead down on the mat, engage the tummy muscles to lift the hips up away from the feet and over the knees. The aim is to not put any weight through the neck, but to roll up over the forehead so that the crown of the head now touches the mat, and the mid-back is lifted high towards the sky, hips over knees. The arms alongside the body help provide stability and grounding. The tummy muscles are working hard here to lift the body and take the weight off the head and neck. Remembering to draw the tummy in towards the spine as you are breathing out here can really help in holding this pose for any length of time.

Other Options 

As always, you can choose to take other variations of the pose. A bolster or cushion under the belly can help support the body, if the core needs some support, and this can help you stay a little longer in the pose. Alternatively, you could place a block under the head if the floor feels a bit too far away today.

You might be starting from a seated position, in which case the same engagement of the core can happen, rounding the back and letting the head come forward. The hands can be used as support on the legs, as shown, or can be released down alongside the calves, if the core muscles are happy with that.

Chair-based  variation of the pose

Moving on

There are lots of options to come out of the pose. You can allow the hips to sink back and take Child’s pose again, or having moved the hips back you can extend the arms forward and come into Table-Top pose on hands and knees. For something more energising, the option to move on from Table-Top into Downward-Facing Dog pose, by lifting the hips up and away is also possible. Simply sitting the hips back from Rabbit and kneeling in Thunderbolt pose is another alternative after Rabbit. What feels good for you today, in your practice?

Make sure you always look after yourself when doing yoga.

It’s important to always listen to your body and only work within your personal limitations. You are fully responsible for your own safety and wellbeing. Make sure your surroundings and your practices are safe. Do not attempt to take a physical posture that is outside of the scope of your practice. If you have any specific medical conditions, injuries, surgeries or are pregnant you should check with your GP or appropriate medical professional before starting any exercise. Keep in mind that yoga might be challenging at times, but it should never be painful. You must stop if you experience any pain, and you should consult your GP if you experience anything untoward such as dizziness or feeling faint. Rest or leave anything out that you need to avoid or that does not feel right.

Any questions? I can be contacted at louise@essentialyoga.uk and I’ll see you again soon 😊